DHARIWAL GURDASPUR): The local police allegedly ran amok and beat up family members and close relatives of Avtar Singh Chahil at his house in Ranian village on the outskirt or this town last week when they were celebrating a marriage in the family.

the Chahals are a well-to-do family. Four Chahit families are residing in the same street located on the Dhariwal Gurdaspur rood. On the other side of the street is the police station of Dhariwal

As per inquiries made by this correspondent, the reason for the police going berserk is that SHO and his colleagues were not served with “whisky and food on the occasion.

Due to the death of a close relative recently. Chahal performed the marriage of his youngest daughter, Primaliit Kaur, at a guest house in Gurdaspur city. Later in the evening, the young members of the family were performing “bhangra” and “giddha to celebrate the marriage

Shamsher Singh-(42), a son of Chahal, who sustained serious injuries, said he was in his room when he heard shrieks of the youngsters. As he came out of his room, he saw the police hitting his family members with Lathis. When he tried to enquire the cause of this madness, the policemen started beating him up, caught him by “his hair and dragged him on the lawn. He became unconscious due to the lathi charge. Shamsher Singh, who was still confined to the bed when this correspondent visited him, could not speak properly. His face and eyes were swollen. Chahal (65), who was also lying on his bed, said one of his teeth was broken due to the police brutality. He was allegedly hit on his shoulders and back with the butts of rifles and lathis, the S.H.O, Kulwant Singh, who led the “operation” to bash up the family, was not available in the police station. The Additional SHO, Culwant Raik, however, denied that the police beat up any person. Alleging that the male members were drunk and shrieking Rai said the police went to stop them from making noise.

The youngsters, however, misbehaved with the SHO and other policemen. The police was about to register a case against them when through the good offices of some “responsible” persons, a compromise was reached.

When asked why only the drunk persons were not nabbed instead of thrashing the entire family, Rai could not give a satisfactory answer and alleged that these persons had got themselves injured to malign the police.

Varinder Kaur, a sister of Shamsher Singh, also corroborated the same story and said that policemen entered the house by scaling the boundary walls.

Gurbax Kaur (about 60), mother of Shamsher Singh, who was also hit by lathi blows and butts of the rifles, said she had pleaded with the police that all people knew their family and that they were innocent. But her pleas fell on deaf cars.

Hardev Singh, a former chairman of Verka Milk Plant, who was also present in his maternal parents house disclosed that one of his maternal uncle, Beant Singh Chahal, a retired panchayat officer on hearing the shrieks, came from his house, located at a distance of about 50 yards, and asked the police what was the reason for this bashing. He was also subjected to severe lathi blows and was hit on his head with the bus of rifles. He became unconscious. Since his condition was very serious and no local nursing home or hospital agreed to admit him, he was rushed to the intensive care unit of Muni Lal Chopra Hospital, a prestigious hospital in Amritsar city. On seeing the serious condition of Beant Singh Chahal, the police, through some persons of the area, forced the family to sign papers for a “compromise.”

All the persons, to whom this correspondent talked to denied that any of the family member or relative was drunk or passed any remark against the police.

This correspondent also visited the Muni Lal Chopra Hospital to know about the condition of Beant Singh Chahal. He was still under treatment in the intensive care unit. Though he regained consciousness now, he could not speak properly. His condition is still critical. If he survives, he is likely to lose his memory due to severe blows of lathis and butts of rifles on his head.

Article extracted from this publication >> February 10, 1995